Carrier bags and handles for attachment thereto



March 19, 1968 H. F. GATWARD 3,373,925

CARRIER BAGS AND HANDLES FOR ATTACHMENT THERETG Filed Aug; 12, 1965 INVENIUI? 548W; 6% 7m rd MA my; 71%

, .AUURNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,373,925 Patented Mar. 1968 3,373,925 CARRIER BAGS AND HANDLES FOR ATTACHMENT THERETO Harry Frederick Gatward, 72 Totteuham Court Road, London, England Filed Aug. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 479,084 8 Claims. (Cl. 229-54) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paper bag having a handle of plastics material heat sealed thereto. The handle being formed of a ribbon-like strip which can be helically wound to form a gripping portion. The bonding of the handle to the bag being reinforced by patch securing the handle ends between the bag and patch.

This invention relates to carrier bags composed of paper and handles for attachment thereto.

It is the usual practice to construct the handles of carrier bags from string, sisal or similar material and their attachment'to the bag has hitherto presented a problem in that in order to obtain a secure attachment it was necessary to apply a patch to the bag over each handle attachment point, which required a special operation and consequently increased the cost of production.

A carrier bag in accordance with the present invention is composed of paper and has handles formed by a moulding or extruding process from a thermo-plastics material. The ends of the handle are fiat and are heat fixed to the bag adjacent its upper edge. The ends of the handle have a width in a direction parallel with the upper edge of the bag which is equal to or greater than the width of the remainder of the handle, measured at right angles to its longitudinal center line.

The term heat fixed is intended to define a method of attachment in which the ends of the handles are heated to a temperature at which the surface of the plastic material softens or partly melts and consequently will adhere to the surface of the bag. The ends of the handle are held in contact with the surface of the bag during the heat fixing operation.

To obtain a better fix, it is preferred to coat the bag at the point where the handle is to be attached with a solution of the plastics material forming the handle or with a solution of a plastics material having an aflinity for the handle material.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

FIGURES l, 2 and 3 are side elevations illustrating three alternative forms of handle in accordance with the invention.

The three handles illustrated are constructed from a I suitable thermo-plastic material by a moulding or extruding operation.

In FIGURE 1 the handle 1 is formed from comparatively wide ribbon like plastics material, the ends of the handle being heat fixed to the paper bag 2. The under surfaces of the ends of the handle are roughened if necessary to improve adhesion.

If desired, the ends of the handle may be sandwiched between the bag and a patch 3 which may be constructed from the same material as the bag, for example, paper or from a stiff material such as cardboard in which case it may be preferred for the cardboard or like stiffening member to lie on the inside of the bag. It will be appreciated that the wide ribbon like material ensures that the area of contact between the handle and bag is substantially greater than would be possible with a string, sisal or similar material.

The patch if heat fixed to the handle and also to the bag provides virtually a permanent connection between the handle and the bag so that there is virtually no risk of an end of the handle breaking away from the bag under the weight of the bags contents.

In FIGURE 2 the handle is moulded from a thermoplastics material and is constructed with flat disc like end portions 4 to provide a large area of contact with the bag. The center part of the handle is preferably of circular cross-section, the parts 4 being heat fixed to the bag, these portions again being roughened on their under surfaces if required to improve adhesion. Furthermore, a paper or other patch or patches may be provided as in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 3 the handle is constructed from comparatively wide extruded ribbon-like thermo-plastics material to provide a large area of surface contact between the handle and bag, the ends being heat fixed to the bag with or without first roughening. A paper or other patch may be provided as in FIGURE 1.

In this case the center part of the handle which is gripped by the hand is wound into circular helical form.

In all three constructions the ends of the handle have a width in a direction parallel with the upper edge of the bag which is equal to or greater than the width of the remainder of the handle and measured at right angles to its longitudinal center line.

In all the constructions illustrated the bag may be coated at the point where the handle is to be attached with a solution of the plastics material forming the handle or with a solution of a plastics material having an affinity for the handle material. In such a case the handle Where it is attached to the bag may not require to be roughened to improve adhesion. If a patch is employed the adjacent faces of the bag and patch may be coated with the aforesaid solution so that the patch can be heat fixed to the bag and the handle heat fixed to the bag in the one operation.

Any suitable thermo-plastics material may be used for the formation of the handle such as for example polystyrene or polythene.

The handles may be so formed that when brought together they interlock to maintain the mouth of the bag closed and may be formed or printed with advertising matter if so desired.

The method of heat fixing employed is preferably that forming the subject of British Patent No. 1,003,100.

I claim:

1. A carrier bag comprising a paper bag and handles fixedly attached thereto, said handles being formed from a substantially broad ribbon-like strip of thermal plastics material the end portions of which are flat and heat-fixed to the bag adjacent its opening edge, a portion of the handle intermediate its end portions being wound into a helical form thereby forming a gripping portion, the ends of said handle having a width in the direction parallel with the upper edge of the bag which is at least equal to the width of the remainder of the handle measured at right angles to its longitudinal center line.

2. A carrier bag handle according to claim 1 in which the ends of said handle are sandwiched between the surface of the bag and a patch, at least one part of which overlies at least the end portions of at least one handle, said patch and said ends being heat fixed in position on said bag.

3. A carrier bag as claimed in claim 1 wherein a portion of the bag adjacent to said handle is coated with a solution of the thermal plastics material forming the handle.

4. A carrier bag according to claim 3 further including a patch extending over parts of the handle heat fixed to 3 the bag wherein the bag and patch are coated with a solution of the handle forming maten'al, the handle and patch being heat fixed to the bag.

5. A carrier bag comprising a paper bag and handles fixedly attached thereto, said handles being formed from a thermal plastics material the ends of which are fiat and are heat fixed to said bag adjacent its opening edge, the portion of said bag to which said handles are attached being coated with a solution having an afiinity with the plastics material forming said handle, the ends of said handle having a width in the direction parallel with the upper edge of the bag which is at least equal to the width of the remainder of the handle measured at right angles to its longitudinal center line.

6. A carrier bag handle according to claim 5 in which the ends of said handle are sandwiched between the surface of the bag and a patch, at least one part of which overlies at least the end portions of one handle, said 4 patch and said ends being heat fixed in position on said bag.

7. A carrier bag as claimed in claim 5 wherein said solution is a solution of the thermal plastics material forming the handle.

8. A carrier bag handle according to claim 5 further including a patch extending over parts of the handle heat fixed to the bag wherein the bag and patch are coated with a solution having an affinity to the handle material, and the handle and patch are heat fixed to the bag.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,807,819 6/1931 Altgelt ISO-12X 2,667,198 1/1954 Klein 22954 X JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

